MASTER PLANNING for TOURISM in MICHIGAN Belle Isle State Park
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MASTER PLANNING FOR TOURISM IN MICHIGAN Belle Isle State Park. Photo courtesy of MDNR. Master Planning for Tourism in Michigan was produced by the Michigan Association of Planning, a chapter of the American Planning Association, in June 2020. PROJECT TEAM ANDREA BROWN, AICP, Executive Director Michigan Association of Planning WENDY RAMPSON, AICP, Director of Programs and Outreach Michigan Association of Planning MATT SMAR, Water Resources Division Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy SARAH NICHOLLS, PhD, Professor & Chair in Placemaking and Destination Management Swansea University THOMAS MCKEE, Intern Michigan Association of Planning MRITHULA SHANTHA THIRUMALAI ANANDANPILLAI, Intern Michigan Association of Planning MATT COWALL, Acting Executive Director Land Information Access Association JIM MURATZKI, Technology Director Land Information Access Association ZACHARY VEGA, Community Planner Land Information Access Association Graphic design provided by Kaye Krapohl, Designer Land Information Access Association To cite this work: Rampson, W., & Nicholls, S. (Eds.) (2020). Master Planning for Tourism in Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Association of Planning Financial assistance for this project was provided, in part, by the Coastal Management Program, Water Resources Division, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, under the National Coastal Zone Management Program, through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations in this document are those of the Michigan Association of Planning and individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Cover photo: Kayaker by Finn Terman Frederiksen ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The creation of this guide would not have been possible without the expertise, insights, knowledge and passion of the many contributors. From advisory committee members and focus group participants, to industry leaders from both tourism and planning, the document epitomizes a collaborative effort that balances the economics of tourism with the natural and cultural resource protection necessary to sustain it. In particular, MAP thanks the following individuals and groups: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM ADVISORY COMMITTEE ZACHARY BRANIGAN, Executive Director Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy MARCI CISNEROS, Executive Director Grand Haven Area Convention and Visitors Bureau DENISE CLINE, AICP, Deputy Director/Chief Planner Northeast Michigan Council of Governments KATHY EGAN, AICP, Community Development Manager Networks Northwest SCOTT JORDAN, PhD, Assistant Professor Northern Michigan University, Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management JANET KOCH, County Administrator Wexford County DAVID KRONK, Instructor Northern Michigan University MARY BETH STUTZMAN, Executive Director Alpena Area Convention and Visitors Bureau MAIA TUREK, Resource Development Specialist Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Division KELLY WOLGAMOTT, Director of Travel Marketing, Pure Michigan Michigan Economic Development Corporation CAREY NORTHROP, Statewide Sustainable Tourism Educator Michigan State University Extension GAIL A. VANDER STOEP, PhD, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator Michigan State University, Department of Community Sustainability FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS In addition, MAP would like to acknowledge and thank members of the US-23 Heritage Route Management Council and community leaders from the Cheboygan, Alpena, Marquette and Munising areas who participated in our project focus groups in November and December 2019. CONTENTS Chapter 1 Master Planning for Tourism in Michigan Andrea Brown, AICP, Michigan Association of Planning ................................................... 2 Chapter 2 Tourism as an Economic and Community Development Tool Sarah Nicholls, PhD, Swansea University ..................................................................... 6 Chapter 3 Tourism in Master Plans Wendy Rampson, AICP, Michigan Association of Planning .............................................. 14 TOURISM AS AN ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY Chapter 4 DEVELOPMENT TOOL Page 6 Tourism Promotion and Planning in Michigan Sarah Nicholls, PhD, Swansea University and Wendy Rampson, AICP, Michigan Association of Planning .............................................22 Chapter 5 Bridging the Tourism Planning Gap Janet Koch, Wexford County ....................................................................................32 Chapter 6 Leveraging First-Time Visitor Perspectives to Strengthen Community-Driven Tourism Andy Northrop, Michigan State University Extension .................................................................. 38 Chapter 7 CREATING A TOURISM Creating a Tourism Asset Inventory ASSET INVENTORY Page 44 Jim Muratzki, Land Information Access Association ......................................................44 Chapter 8 Inventorying Natural and Cultural Assets Zachary Vega, Land Information Access Association .....................................................50 Chapter 9 Engaging the Community in Tourism Planning Scott Jordan, PhD, Northern Michigan University .........................................................58 Chapter 10 “Zoning” Public Land to Balance Recreation and Resource Protection Maia Turek, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Matt Smar, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy ......................64 ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN Chapter 11 TOURISM PLANNING Page 58 Linking Tourism and Economic Development: A Regional Perspective Denise Cline, AICP, Northeast Michigan Council of Governments ....................................70 Chapter 12 Infrastructure Planning for Tourism Janet Koch, Wexford County .................................................................................... 76 Chapter 13 Tourism Planning and Community Resiliency Matt Smar, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy ......................82 Appendices A – Acronyms and Glossary ........................................................................................................... 88 B – Project Survey Results ............................................................................................................ 90 C – Tourism Asset Inventory Process ......................................................................................... 102 INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING D – Steps to Creating a Natural/Cultural Resource Inventory ..................................................110 FOR TOURISM Page 76 CHAPTER 1 | MASTER PLANNING FOR TOURISM IN MICHIGAN Wilderness State Park. Photo courtesy of MDNR. 1 Master Planning for Tourism in Michigan CHAPTER 1 | MASTER PLANNING FOR TOURISM IN MICHIGAN CHAPTER 1 MASTER PLANNING FOR TOURISM IN ANDREA BROWN, AICP, MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN PLANNING Michiganders are well acquainted with the natural and cultural features of our Water Winter Wonderland: freshwater coastlines, marine preserves, historic downtowns, trails, rivers, lighthouses, and acres of forests. And now, thanks to the far-reaching Pure Michigan marketing campaign, the rest of the country wants to explore our unique and inviting peninsulas. While tourism has bolstered the economies of many Michigan communities for years, its importance has increased with the loss of traditional manufacturing and extraction industries. Communities may welcome tourist dollars, but they often struggle with visitor impacts on municipal services and infrastructure. In some cases, these impacts threaten the same natural and cultural assets that draw tourists to their community in the first place. The state’s tourism industry is critically important, but also fragile. The COVID-19 pandemic made clear how an unanticipated global emergency impacted the industry, but other less catastrophic events, like a winter without snow or a recession, could have equally devastating effects. While these are difficult times, they can provide an opportunity for communities to press the reset button, understand the challenges, and thoughtfully plan for a tourism economy that supports, and is supported by, their community vision and goals. MAP, with a grant from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Admission (NOAA) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), has convened experts throughout the state to identify best practices for “sustainable” tourism. The United Nations World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social/cultural and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.” Master Planning for Tourism in Michigan 2 CHAPTER 1 | MASTER PLANNING FOR TOURISM IN MICHIGAN Whether you call it sustainable tourism, community-driven tourism or just tourism, there is a growing body of knowledge about how communities could – and should – incorporate concepts of sound economics and natural and cultural resource stewardship into their master plans. In this guide, we periodically use the term “community-driven tourism” as a way to characterize this approach, in contrast with the marketing and “destination management” methods common to the tourism industry. Master Planning for Tourism in Michigan is a tool that will help communities identify their unique tourism assets;